Prosecutors allege that Arias, now 32, was visiting Alexander at his Arizona home on June 4, 2008 when the murder allegedly occurred. She is accused of stabbing Alexander 27 times in the chest, back, and head, slashing his throat from ear to ear, and shooting him in the head with a .25 caliber handgun.

Alexander’s bloody body was discovered days later by his friends on his bathroom floor.

When investigators examined Arias’ digital camera, they allegedly discovered that on the day of the murder, the couple had taken a series of nude photographs of one another, and the final photos in the series showed a body partly covered in blood on the bathroom floor, ABC News reported.

Arias was arrested in Yreka – where she resided with her grandparents – on a warrant shortly after the incident and she was held in the Siskiyou County Jail until she was extradited to Arizona to begin court proceedings.

Community reaction Arias’ high school friend Tina Ross (formerly Tina Brazzi) told the Daily News on Thursday that she was “totally shocked” when she learned Arias had been arrested for murder.

“She was a kind and gentle spirit,” said Ross. “This was totally out of character for Jodi. She was not a violent person.”

Ross said Arias was a good student and came from a loving family, and she believed Arias’ parents always wanted what was best for their daughter.

However, “Jodi had a way of picking bad boys,” Ross recalled, adding that she remembers one of Arias’ high school boyfriends who she described as “controlling.”

“From a young age, she started picking guys that were just not the best choice for her. And she was such a beautiful girl,” she said.

Ross noted that while Arias seemed to be drawn into relationships that had warning signs of domestic violence, she never observed that Arias reacted “over the top” to breakups.

Ross commented that based on Arias’ history, she believes that there was domestic violence in her relationship with Alexander.

Richard Rangel, a Yreka High School art teacher, said he fondly remembers when Arias was his art student.

“She was very conscientious, very smart, very hard working and very skillful,” Rangel recalled. He added that she mastered all mediums and was usually the first student to complete an assignment.

“One of the things that stood out to me about her was she was always perfect,” said Rangel, referring to the flawless appearance of her hair, makeup and clothing.

“There were no signs of violence or a temper; she was on the mellow side. She was very quiet and always seemed more mature than rest of the kids. She had a maturity about her that was noticeable,” he said, adding that she never became upset by critiques in art class.

“She was the perfect kid – the kind of kid you would want your son to date because she just seemed so clean cut,” said Rangel.

Case proceedingsAccording to CBS News, Arias initially denied murdering Alexander, and furthermore, she denied being in Arizona at the time of the murder.

ABC News reported that investigators found DNA of Arias’ and Alexander’s blood, strands of her hair that contained his blood and her bloody hand print at the scene.

During the course of the proceedings, Arias changed her story and said she was at Alexander’s home, and that she witnessed him being murdered by home invaders. Then, she changed her story again and claimed Alexander was abusive, and she killed him in self defense. Prosecutors allege Arias killed Alexander in a fit of jealous rage, reported the Huffington Post.

Yahoo.com reported that a week prior to the alleged murder, Arias’ grandparents had reported to Yreka Police Department (YPD) their home had been burglarized and a .25 caliber handgun was missing. The handgun, a DVD player and $30 were the only items reported missing during the burglary. Other valuable items, including three other guns, were left untouched.

YPD Officer Kevin Friedman, who investigated the burglary and was subpoenaed to testify in the trial, told the Maricopa County Superior Court that the burglary struck him as odd. He said he found it unusual that only one firearm was stolen from the cabinet and other items worth money were left untouched, reported Yahoo.com.

Arias told the court she had never seen the .25 caliber gun and she did not even know her grandparents owned one until they reported it missing a week prior to the murder.

The prosecution has rested and Arias’ attorneys will begin presenting her defense on Jan. 29 after a one-week hiatus, stated ABC News.

Arias’ artwork, which she created while incarcerated, has been selling on eBay for bids between $300 and $400, with proceeds going toward her court expenses and better quality food while she is behind bars. The drawings are being sold by an anonymous eBay user, ABC News reported.

Prior to her arrest in 2008, YPD Chief Brian Bowles said his department has no previous records of Arias ever having been arrested in Yreka. According to online court records, Arias had no previous criminal charges filed against her in the county.